Chapter Four
Bruno watched surprise chase across Amy’s face. He knew he’d shocked her, but when she frowned, then slowly shook her head, he sat up straighter. He waited for the inevitable question.
“I don’t understand.” She wiped her hands on her pants. “I’m nobody.”
He inhaled, then let it out again, debating how to frame his answer. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to drag her into his life where every move she’d make would be scrutinized. Where she might die simply because she’s with me. “Because your presence soothes me.” The moment the words left his mouth, he knew they were the wrong ones to use. But they are the truth.
Amy blinked. “Come again?”
Bruno pushed his glass away. She has no idea who she is to me, he reminded himself. “I need your help to deal with the crisis.” He wanted to smooth down the stray wisps of hair that floated around her face. He wanted to take her in his arms and assure her that he would protect her with his life. He smothered the urge to touch her, but he couldn’t completely suppress the desire he felt for her. He needed to tread carefully.
Amy frowned. “Don’t you have tons of minions running around, helping you with things?”
He shook his head. “I only have one assistant, Eileen. She’s wonderful, but I sense that I’ll need more help in order to deal with this threat.”
Amy clasped her hands together. “I don’t know what I could possibly do for you. I’m not trained as an assistant.” She took a deep breath. “I mean, of course I’ll help if I can, but…” She trailed off. “I have no experience.”
“You have a political science degree,” he pointed out. He had his empathy locked down tight, but some of her confusion filtered through. He’d never be able to completely block out this particular woman, especially not when her emotions were so turbulent. He also sensed arousal, and fear. He smoothed his face into a neutral expression. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. His desire for her went bone deep, and he absolutely could not dwell on their mutual attraction right now.
“So do a thousand other new college grads,” Amy retorted.
Bruno shifted his weight. “You already know more about Sentries and the Stronghold tech than any other civilian, save Eileen.”
Amy bit her lip.
Bruno almost held his breath. He could sense her hesitation, but he also felt her strong sense of duty. He knew that if he could just convince her that she was needed. That she was necessary.
“This is a very strange request,” she said, twisting his ring on her finger.
“You’re doing a crappy job of explaining this, Bruno,” she whispered, eyes going dark.
She wasn’t frightened. Bruno felt her arousal suddenly spike like a punch in his gut. He inhaled sharply. His brothers never mentioned the insane need that came with being in the presence of one’s paired mate. He’d thought it was bad earlier, when he’d given her his ring, but the attraction seemed to increase with every moment in her presence.
“I know,” he replied, sifting through a dozen explanations in his mind and discarding all of them. None of them mattered. He needed her for the power she would add to the Stronghold net when they paired, yes, but he needed her for himself even more. Suddenly, all the years he’d spent alone felt like an unbearable eternity.
“Just tell me the truth. It can’t be as bad as all that,” Amy murmured.
Bruno brought her hands up to his lips and kissed the backs of her fingers. She sucked in a breath. “This is the truth.” He slid his hands up her arms and took a step off the cliff he’d been holding himself back from for centuries. “I saw you in my dreams two hundred years ago.” He leaned down, watching the black of her pupils swallow the sweet brown of her irises. She smelled like roses and sugar. He licked his lips, desperate to kiss her. He’d never felt so overwhelmed with desire, not once, in his long life.
“Are you saying that you can tell your future?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m in it?”
“I can see this future,” he murmured, then leaned down and kissed her.
****
When his lips touched hers, Amy gasped. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. He kissed her gently, and then he gathered her up and pressed in harder until she couldn’t do a damn thing except cling to his shoulders like some damsel in a romance novel. He tasted like spice and fire, and she must have made a sound in the back of her throat, because he groaned and dipped his tongue into her mouth. Amy shuddered, not understanding how she could go through life thinking that what she’d experienced before this moment was anything at all. Nothing could have prepared her for how it felt to kiss Bruno Day.
Amy dug her fingers into him, and then he abruptly broke away, panting as though he’d run a race. She wasn’t doing much better. She sucked in air, hands still locked around his biceps. “What just happened?” she asked, bewildered. Heat coursed through her bones. She couldn’t let go of him. If she did, she’d fall to the floor in a ridiculous heap.
Bruno swallowed. “What do you feel?” He slid his arms back around her waist, drawing her into his body.
“Confused. Hot.” She frowned at him even as she let him cradle her between his thighs. “This is insane.” She didn’t tell him that she’d dreamed of him kissing her since she was a teen. She didn’t want him to think she was some crazy fangirl. She lifted her hands to her cheeks. Her skin felt like it was on fire.
“Do you know what a paired mate is?”
Amy sucked in a breath. “What are you saying?” She thought about her friend Saige. When she’d eloped with Isaac, the connection between the two of them had been palpable. Amy didn’t quite understand it when Saige first explained it to her. But I think I understand it now.
“Sentries can sense things about people. Emotions,” he said.
That means he can sense my arousal. God. Amy licked her lips nervously. Bruno stared at her, obviously waiting for her to say something. She took a deep breath. “I know. Saige explained it to me. And she’s always been very intuitive, so I believed her, even though I didn’t understand. It’s easy to see how connected she is with Isaac, too.” She tilted her head, trying to ignore the heat of his body. She was so hot she ached, and trying to hold a rational conversation while she buzzed with need was proving difficult.
“We have the same kind of connection, Amy,” Bruno said, sliding a hand up to cup her cheek. “Can you feel it?” He kissed her gently.
Amy trembled. He thought she was meant for him? That they were meant for each other? “I don’t know.” She felt something, but lust had a way of confusing a person. She’d been down that road before.
Bruno lifted his head. “I can sense your emotions, Amy.”
Amy felt her skin flush hotter. If he could sense her emotions, he knew exactly how much she wanted him right now. “We don’t even know each other,” she said, wondering why she was arguing with him. Bruno Day had just kissed her! She had to be an idiot to keep protesting. I should just go for it. It’s not like I haven’t hooked up before, right? And he said he needed my help. It doesn’t have to mean anything.
Even as she thought that, she knew she was lying to herself. She’d had a thing for Bruno since the first press conference, when the Sentries had finally come out in the open and publicly explained who they were. She flexed her fingers against his muscles. He felt like a mountain: strong and immovable. “This isn’t how I expected my day to end,” she muttered, looking away from the intensity of his gaze for a moment. She couldn’t look away for long, though. Something compelled her to glance back up at him.
Bruno’s blue eyes bored holes in her composure, but then he closed his eyes and visibly gathered his control. “You’re right, of course.” He stepped back. “Come with me to Manhattan. Help us deal with the Spiders. You will learn all there is to know about me, and I you.”
Amy shivered at the sudden loss of his body heat. “Wait, are you offering me a job? Or a date?” She wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to rub her lips. They felt raw. Needy.
“Yes. And more. I need your power, Amy.”
Power? What is he talking about? She stared at him as disappointment crashed through her. She wasn’t sure why. They hardly knew each other. What could he possibly want from her? “You’re crazy.” She had no power. Did he want to just hook up with her? Did he want someone he could just put aside when he didn’t need her anymore? More importantly, did she care if that’s all it could be between them?
“I can sense more than emotion. Sometimes I can see motivation. And I have visions of future events. I saw you two centuries ago, in a vision, Amy.” Bruno’s eyes held shadows. “I hate to ask this of you so suddenly. I thought we’d have more time.” He sighed. “My gift doesn’t always show a complete future.”
“That’s impossible,” she said flatly. “No one can tell the future.”
“Not impossible, just improbable,” he replied, as if he hadn’t just admitted to having strange, paranormal powers.
But he’s a Sentry. They’re not quite human, are they? she reasoned, mind racing. She could go to New York. What could it hurt? “What exactly are you asking me?” Amy wished he were still kissing her. Kissing meant she didn’t have to grapple with explanations. Explanations she wasn’t sure she’d understand. But if he saw me in a vision, surely that means something.
“If you come with me, and pair with me, your energy will boost the Stronghold net enough to power a shield that will keep Earth safe.”
****
Bruno scowled into the wind. Amy’s strong arms wrapped around his waist, and she leaned into him every time he took a turn slightly too fast. Maybe if I go fast enough, I can outrun the hurt in her eyes, he reasoned, knowing he lied to himself. When he’d told her he needed her power for the Stronghold net, she’d closed down completely. He didn’t blame her. He’d as much as said he wanted her only for the power she held in her small body, and not for herself, but the truth was far more complicated. He wanted all of her: her mind, her emotions, her power, and her future. You sound like an obsessive psychopath. Is it any wonder she shut down on you? he asked himself.
“How much farther?” she asked, talking loudly into his ear so he’d hear her above the noise of the motorcycle.
“We’re almost to the bridge,” he yelled back, wanting to reassure her.
She squeezed him tighter. He sensed her acknowledgement, and gritted his teeth. He couldn’t talk to her until they reached his Stronghold in the middle of Manhattan. He couldn’t apologize for the way he’d fumbled after the kiss that had rocked his world. He eased through the traffic lining up to cross the new Tappen Zee Bridge. Once across, he headed south, cursing under his breath at the traffic that slowed him when he reached the city. He’d felt Amy’s emotions ricocheting from worry to excitement to arousal during the trip, mirroring his own uncertainty. When he finally pulled into his building’s underground parking garage in midtown, he breathed a sigh of relief despite the pressure of so many thousands of minds pressing on his empathic pathways.
“We’re here?” Amy asked, when he parked the motorcycle. She climbed off and looked around at the unremarkable space. “This is not what I expected.”
“This is just the garage. We need to go up,” he said, removing her helmet for her. He’d lent her his, and her mussed blonde hair made him want to kiss her all over again. He smoothed a stray strand away from her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She grimaced, rubbing her neck. “A little stiff.”
“Come. The entrance is over here.” He led her to his express elevator, then placed his palm on the clear white surface of the reader panel. Unlike most security pads, this one was composed of Stronghold tech, similar to the column in his penthouse. The pad read his DNA, and then the polished brass doors opened. “I’ll key it to your handprint so you’ll be able to get in and out at will,” he assured her.
“No actual security guys?” Amy asked, sounding bemused.
He smiled as he ushered her into the elevator. “I like to keep a low profile.”
“There’s low profile, and then there’s crazy,” she muttered. “You’re the most recognizable man in the world.”
His smile faded as her worry rolled over him. “You are safe here, Amy.” He pressed the button for his floor, and he gently caught her elbow when she swayed with the pressure of the sudden movement. “The entire building has Sentry tech embedded into the steel. I have sensors everywhere, and a shield that can detect Spiders and other threats. This is the safest building in the city.”
“My father thought he was safe, too,” she told him, a wrinkle marring her brow. “Technology can’t protect you from humans who are determined to hurt you.”
Bruno nodded. “I know. But my empathic senses can detect any human intent on harm. And as a Sentry, I have a far more dangerous threat to deal with than a few people.” He steadied her as the elevator sped up, pressing them down into the floor.
She shrugged off his hands, leaning back against the brass handrail instead. “I’m sorry.” She adjusted the small backpack she’d brought with her.
“No need for apologies,” Bruno murmured. He could sense her weariness, and her arousal. His cock throbbed, still half-hard even after the long motorcycle ride. He slid his hands down her arms. “I promise, we are safe here.” He leaned in and kissed her temple. Before he could lean away, she turned her head and kissed him full on the mouth.
“I still don’t quite understand what I’m doing here, but I know how to have a good time when I want to,” she said, biting at his lower lip.
Bruno groaned and crowded her against the wall. “You are much more than a ‘good time’ to be had, Amy. Much, much more.” He seized control of the kiss, licking into her mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her. His skin burned, and he pressed his erection into her hip. Thoughts of the Spider swarm faded as her scent and emotions invaded his mind. He’d never felt so crazed with lust.
“God, you’re killing me,” she gasped, grabbing his shoulders. “I swore I wouldn’t do this, and then I swore I would because what the hell, you only live once, and then you kissed me. I don’t know what to do with you.”
Bruno picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “We should talk,” he said, tracing his lips down her jaw. “This can wait.”
“I don’t think I can make sentences any longer,” she replied.
Bruno grinned despite the worry that insinuated itself into the midst of his arousal. “Then don’t,” he said, kissing her again. The doors opened, and he walked them into his home.
“Whoa,” she said, twisting around to see the large, open space. “That’s a hell of a view.”
He let her slide down his body, shuddering when she clung to him. The sense of possession that filled him at the sight of her in his home shook him to the bone. He cleared his throat. “Welcome to my Stronghold, darling.”
He watched her take it in. Her eyes moved from the white pillar at the center of the room to the polished glass conference table at the far southern corner. Her gaze landed on the stairs that led to his private quarters.
“Yes,” he said in answer to her unspoken question. “That’s where I live when I am not ensnared in meetings.” He gestured toward the stairs. “Would you like to see?”
She nodded. “This is the top floor, right?” She headed to the windows. “You can see the entire city from here.”
“This is the second to top floor. My living quarters are above us.” Bruno joined her. He wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her up to his bed, but his frantic need for her had already nearly ruined everything. He had to somehow make up for his clumsy words.
Amy turned from the windows and walked to the pillar. “This is the Stronghold net? Saige sort of described it to me.” She reached out a hand, but didn’t touch it. “I mean, she didn’t go into detail, or anything.”
Bruno knew she was worried about getting her friend in trouble. What she didn’t realize was that she already knew more than anyone else except another Sentry. “The pillar is a framework constructed of nanotechnology, organic filaments, and energy. It is both a wide-ranging network, and a repository for knowledge and power.” He took her hand and placed her palm on the surface.
“It tingles.” She frowned.
Bruno tilted his head. “You also said you could feel the energy in the shield ring.”
“Yeah. The ring buzzes against my skin, especially if I pay attention to it.” She shrugged. “I don’t notice it most of the time.” She let her hand fall, and then turned and leaned back against the pillar. Her brown eyes held shadows darker than someone her age should bear. “Bruno, why am I here?”
He took a deep breath. He knew she wanted a true answer, not some off-the-cuff excuse. “Do you believe in destiny?”
She narrowed her eyes. “No.”
Bruno touched a strand of her short hair. “Every Sentry has his perfect match. It’s written into our DNA. My brothers found their paired mates.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” she said, straightening up. “I thought you wanted sex, and then I thought you wanted to give me a job. Now you’re talking about fate? You said something earlier about pairing, but I didn’t think you were serious.”
“I’m deadly serious.” Bruno wanted to hold her, but he could tell that she was riding the edge of anger. Their mutual arousal wasn’t helping matters, either. “It’s all mixed up together, Amy. When Greyson met Eva, he tried to run away from her. They knew each other for years, and he ran to keep her safe, but it didn’t matter. He could not stay away from her. When Solomon met Lucy, they paired very quickly.”
“And then Saige met Isaac.” Amy pursed her lips. “Saige had a weird thing with guys. She didn’t like them much. When she met Isaac, I couldn’t believe she’d moved so fast with him. It made no sense to me, and then I met him. I could tell he was a good person.”
Not for the first time, Bruno wondered about her excellent people skills. The daughter of a diplomat likely learned how to read people from a young age. “I know. Saige’s wariness makes their pairing all the more surprising unless you understand the underlying biological imperative. Pairing requires complete trust, or it doesn’t work. They were either going to commit to each other right away, or not at all.” Bruno understood all about Saige’s traumatic past, and he knew it didn’t matter. Saige and his brother were meant to be together.
“When Saige met Isaac, it was like she’d lost her damn mind. I’d never seen her so torn up over a guy.” Amy laughed suddenly. “But I don’t feel like I’ve lost my mind. I feel unsettled. And wired.”
“You feel aroused and confused, and even with all of that, you can’t stop thinking about the Spiders looming over our heads,” Bruno offered.
Amy blinked. “Yeah. Can you read minds?”
“I can read emotions.” Bruno smiled. “And, too, I feel just as shaken as you do right now. I knew as soon as Isaac brought Saige home that I would be meeting you very soon, but that did not in any way assuage my worry over dragging you into my world.” He waved to the pillar. “What we do as Sentries is a dangerous, difficult job. It is our duty to protect humanity from enemies no one else can face.”
“I understand about duty,” Amy said, her face closing down.
Bruno felt her old grief, and it nearly broke his heart. “I know you do,” he said softly.
She offered a smile, then shrugged. “Okay, so you understand what I’m feeling. Now what?”
“Now? I should contact my brothers.” He put a hand on the pillar. “I need to let them know I’m home, and that you are with me, so we can plan for the worst.” He inhaled deeply, hesitating. “But I don’t want to contact them. I want to savor meeting you before everything crashes down around us.” He let his hand slide down the smooth surface without opening a communication window, and then he turned to her and touched her shoulder. He sensed her strength. He sensed her desire for him. She didn’t push him away, and Bruno let himself hope that he hadn’t destroyed what they could have together before they even began to build a relationship. “I did not mean for you to get caught up in this.”
“You only came back for me after you found out about the Spider swarm,” she pointed out, though, with devastating incision. She gripped his wrists, hard. “And I still don’t understand what I could possibly do to help.”
Bruno gave in to his baser impulses and touched her cheek, gratified when she didn’t flinch away. He deserved it, given how quickly and brashly he’d snatched her away from her home. “I would have come back anyway. Even if there had been no crisis.” He leaned in and kissed her, willing her to believe him. “There’s no way I could have stayed away, not once I’d finally met you.”